The invention relates to a device for moving a thread of a surgical sewing instrument, in which the thread can be moved directly by one finger of a hand of an operator.
The invention further relates to a surgical sewing instrument provided with such a device for moving a thread.
A device for guiding surgical sewing material to a needle is known from US 2006/0229642 A1.
This surgical sewing instrument has an approximately rod-like body, through which a surgical thread can be guided from a proximal to a distal end where a suture attachment is disposed. The rod-like body has a recess, along which a section of the thread is guided exposed. The hollow or recess is adapted in that a thumb of a hand of an operator holding the rod-like body can be inserted into the recess thereby touching the section of the thread exposed in the area of the recess.
This enables the operator to move the thread reciprocally by a finger.
For example he can shift the thread by moving the finger from proximal to distal thereby moving the thread out of the distal end of the needle attachment.
Many surgical threads are very smooth due to their structure on the outside such that reciprocal motion of the thread is made difficult. This can be further aggravated by the hand of the operator, normally covered by a latex glove, slipping over the thread.
If the glove is contaminated with liquids, for example blood, a secure moving of the thread is not possible.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,615 discloses an arthroscopic suturing instrument. The suturing instrument for use in arthroscopic surgery includes a hollow needle for penetrating tissue to be sutured within a body while the tissue is clamped between relatively movable jaws. A suture feed mechanism is provided for feeding suture material through the hollow needle such that the jaws can be opened and the suturing instrument withdrawn from the body pulling the free end and segment of the suture material with the instrument. The suture material feed mechanism has two rollers converging via their peripheral surfaces which are mounted fixedly on one of the two grips of the medical instrument. A thread can be threaded in between the two rollers and guided by the long hollow shaft of the instrument as far as the distal sewing device. To move the thread one of the two rollers is exposed to an extent where this exposed roller can be rotated by a finger of a hand gripping the scissors-like instrument. When turning the roller the thread is moved between the two adjacent rollers depending on the direction of turning the outer exposed roller.
The structure of this feeding mechanism is very complicated, has countless single parts. Both rollers must be held and mounted in a separately mounted thread feed structure. This results in countless niches for bacteria, making cleaning and sterilizing very difficult.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a simple thread feeding mechanism which is of simple construction.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a thread feeding mechanism which can be used only if necessary i.e. if the structure of the outer surface of the thread is inconvenient for the operator for moving the thread directly with its finger.
It is quite a further object of the present invention to design a device which can be easily cleaned.